Step 7: Cut the support plate

Step 8: Select the plate

Prepare the vibrating plate from the material of your choice. Traditionally, these plates were metal. We experimented with different sized aluminum and acrylic plates. Circular plates generate different ...

Step 20: HANGING APPARATUS & SOUND CONTROL

Step 21: Hang the Gametrak Controller

The Gametrak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gametrak) is a USB controller that senses positions in 3-dimentional space. The USB connection makes it extremely hackable for spatial position sensing since it has two ...

Step 23: Convert the values with Logic

This project combines performance and craft in a system that visualizes sound waves as sand on an oscillating plate. The frequency of sound, and the flow of sand are controlled by a box suspended above the plate.

Created with the effort to combine digital performance and crafts, the Digital World & Image Group at Georgia Tech added to existing cymatics projects for an interactive crafting experience to the tune of sine waves. It’s a great way to learn how sound works.

So find a good speaker and a few materials. You don’t have to follow the hardware list exactly. use what works for the measurements of your speaker. Get started on your own sandtone station.

You'll need Various Parts and Equipment OSCILLATING SPEAKER + PLATE 10” speaker (ours was 16ohm) Sound Amplifier (able to sufficiently power your speaker without blowing it up. See this guide for help: http://www.outrageousaudio.com/page_files/wiring_subs.pdf)

Step 1: OSCILLATING PLATE

First we’ll build the plate. The plate is attached to a speaker at one point and vibrates when the speaker emits sine waves. We used a 10-inch 16-ohm speaker. The higher the speaker’s resistance, the harder it is to break the amp powering it. It’s also more difficult (and possibly expensive) to find an amp powerful enough to vibrate a 16 ohm speaker with enough force to shake something set on top of it. We got around this by reducing the downward force of the plate on our speaker coil with a expansion spring (but more on that later).

Years ago I experimented with 'seeing sound' <br>One method was to put cling film in a large picture frame heat it till taut and place over a speaker with sand on it <br>Another method was to cover a speaker with a balloon cut open and held tight glue some small mirrors on (sequens work) leaving gaps round them, shine a spot light onto the mirrors at 45degree and watch the reflection bounce around

Fascinating! Was hoping to see a video.

I've seen some videos of this stuff and I have to say the shapes are crazy, it even makes complex geometry.

Post video :)

Nice project! I too would like to see a video.<br />
<br />
Check this out:<br />
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10975<br />
<br />
Not sure it would give you the same 'umph' though. A bass shaker would, but then you wouldn't get the frequency range.